Abstract
BACKGROUND: This phase II trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of S-1 combined with weekly irinotecan as a second- or third-line treatment for patients with advanced or recurrent squamous cell lung cancer. METHODS: Patients with a body surface area <1.25, 1.25-1.50, and >1.50 m(2) received oral S-1 on days 1-14 at 80, 100, and 120 mg/day, respectively, and irinotecan on days 1 and 8 at 70 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate, and the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, overall survival, and the incidence and severity of adverse effects. RESULTS: Between September 2011 and December 2014, 30 patients were enrolled in this study. The overall response rate was 6.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8%-22.1%), and the disease control rate was 73.3%. The median progression-free survival was 3.0 months (95% CI: 2.5-3.4 months), and the median overall survival was 10.5 months (95% CI: 5.6-13.7 months). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in ≥10% of the patients, including leukopenia (21%), neutropenia (21%), anemia (17%), anorexia (10%), and hypokalemia (10%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the treatment-related adverse events were manageable, the combination of weekly irinotecan and S-1 did not have the expected effect.